13-14th June: Pedu Lake, Kedah

I stole a couple of days off work to accompany Choo Eng, Angie and James to the access road to Pedu Lake up on the Malaysia/Thailand border. Warning: there follow some of the worst photos you are ever likely to find on a bird blog!

 

A male Crimson-breasted Flowerpecker.

 

A typical view of a Raffles's Malkoha!

 

These two Red Junglefowl looked like a couple of old dears out for a morning stroll!

 

At last!! A flock of noisy, broad-winged and apparently tailless birds chasing each other around the treetops turned out to be...

 

GREY-AND-BUFF WOODPECKERS! Not the greatest views, but my #1 "Bogey Bird" laid to rest at last!  

  

If you have one of the older versions of Robson, you'll see that Whiskered Treeswift is illustrated with all dark wings. The 2008 edition corrected this oversight, but the rather obvious broad white trailing edge to the wing is still absent in other field guides. Odd how something so obvious can go unnoticed - but then - how many people really look at flying swifts/swiftlets/treeswifts?!

 

The sun setting beyond Pedu Lake.

Early morning Blyth's (Javan) Frogmouths were very active. Above is the female - plainer and more rufous; below is the male.

Hooded Pittas were rather numerous, easy to hear but difficult to see!

We watched a displaying Great Iora briefly. It's many, many years since I last saw one. When it was doing its fluttering parachute display, the bird showed a very obvious white rump (see lower picture). The photo shows that the 'rump' appears domed, as if fluffed out. When I got home and checked the books I was rather puzzled to find that Great Iora doesn't have a white rump! Further reading solved the mystery. The nominate race which we get here has "long, silky, white upper flank feathers" (Wells 2008), and it seems that it puffs these up when displaying, giving the impression of a white rump. Well - you learn something new everyday!

15th August 2011: Air Itam Dam, Penang

I decided to follow up a tip from Hor Kee, who wrote that Brown-backed Needletails were coming down to drink in the evening at Air Itam Reservoir.

The needletails did eventually arrive - but when it was already far too dark for photography. However, this was made up for by the presence of 10-20 Grey-rumped Treeswifts flying low to and fro along the dam, which gave me a good opportunity to try and capture some flight shots.





Males.





Females.

This seems to be the inter-breeding period. Most birds were in wing and tail moult, with some having lost their longer outer tail feathers altogether, which made them look quite odd in flight!

Toward dusk they went to roost in some small trees near the guard house. This was a challenge photographically, as they were against a colourless sky, and I was very limited in my viewpoint options (mostly directly below!). Hope to go back and improve these shots on a better day.







Very fluffy!



A Brahminy Kite provided a considerably simpler challenge!

18th October 2010 Danum Valley Borneo Rainforest Lodge

I'd heard a lot about 'BRL', but this was my first chance to pay a visit, so I was pretty excited!

Alan and I arrived in time for a superb lunch, then a rest, which I spent in my personal outdoor pool overlooking the river and forest beyond!



The room's electrics are all solar-powered, though I barely used the fan the whole trip, as the forest is refreshingly cool.



From the balcony I have a view of the river Danum and forest which has been unchanged for millenia!





My first new bird flew in as we were enjoying lunch - a Great-billed Heron.

Between my chalet and the dining room there was so much bird activity it was difficult to know where to look!



There were Spectacled Spiderhunters in the Indian Coral trees...






























































... a pair of Whiskered Treeswifts at eye-level in the small trees lining the boardwalk.





The treeswifts started to call in alarm, alerting me to a Wallace's Hawk-eagle which flew into one of the larger trees briefly, before flying off again.



Meanwhile, a Wreathed Hornbill flew directly overhead...and I hadn't even got into the forest yet!






















At three thirty we met up with our guide, the legendary Wang Kong, and we set off into the forest, with our number one target - Giant Pitta. We had a prolonged 'conversation' with one, but got no views. This Ferruginous Babbler was scant consolation!

Oh well, there's always tomorrow!